You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Last resort! Help required please x

Hello all,
I'm posting here as a last ditch attempt to see if my little boy may be unhappy due to me / my milk or whether he is just a bit fussy and I nee get on and hope he grows out of it.
DS is 8 wks old. Since about 2/3 wks of age he has got fussier and fussier and cried more and more. I'm a first time mum so it's knocked my confidence a bit.
I've breastfed from day 1.
He has real issues being put down, whether that be to sleep, be changed or play. Most the time he cries instantly (it's more of a scream really).
He feeds all the time, as if in permanent growth spurt! He puts on an average of just under or over a lb a week.
He has terrible wind and displays collic like symptoms but throughout the day.
Quite explosive watery stools, usually very yellow grainy but sometimes stringy.
He doesn't feed for very long but frequently and has started to become fussy on the breast after 5 mins or so.
I co sleep (not through choice) and feed laying down at night. If I'm honest I don't really know how long he feeds at night as I drift off a bit.
He can be quite sick but not all the time, seems to be linked to his wind.
He is like a different baby in the bath and his body relaxes and he seems to enjoy it.
Seems to sleep better on tummy in pram (have not tried at night due to sids risks)
Rarely seems content and doesn't smile a lot.
An average day consists of him nursing and sleeping on me so I can't get much done at all. Some days are better than others but not sure if that's down to me pushing on or having the odd down day where I get upset.
I'm not looking for a perfect baby and I knew I'd be in for the hardest job of my life but this is gruelling. The feeding, crying, constant being on me doesn't seem like other babies I know. He doesn't really sleep a lot so he is probably overtired as well. I wonder if it's my milk or feeding related. Last night I gave him 3 bottles of formula, only total of about 8oz's just out of desperation following him being awake for 8 hrs and feeding the whole time. Not sure if a coinscidence but he was like a different baby for the evening. He slept well and when he woke he was content and a real joy. I feel terrible giving it to him but equally am wondering now if it's my milk or feeding technique and whether he would be happier on formula. Dr's are happy nothing his wrong with him and feel he will outgrow this. I just thought it worth getting in touch as dr's are BF specialists. I want to BF but equally want my baby to be happy and selfishly would like a bit of an easier ride myself in terms of the crying and inability to put him down. I hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance for any advice xxxx

Re: Last resort! Help required please x

Originally Posted by @llli*dannysmum

I want to BF but equally want my baby to be happy and selfishly would like a bit of an easier ride myself in terms of the crying and inability to put him down. I hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance for any advice xxxx

Hey there - sounds like a lot of frist time parent challenges. I am not a medical expert but I would say talking to his dr about colic/acid reflux/gas might help. Soemtimes women find that eliminating dairy helps? But I think even that is rare. I will leave the primary answers to your questions to a more frequent poster or LLL Leader. But what I wanted to ask was about your last question quoted above. I'm not sure that not breastfeeding him would make this any easier. If he is having trouble digesting I can't imagine formula would make it any easier..unless you were thinking of expressing and giving him a bottle? But even that would be a lot more work for you. I guess I might need some more clarification as to your questions. But please know that at 8 weeks I was ready to pull my hair out and it gets SO MUCH EASIER.

Re: Last resort! Help required please x

Hi, thanks for your reply. I was thinking along the lines of whether he wasn't getting what he needs from my breast milk and whether he would be more satisfied on formula. So many FF friends and even some family have said perhaps I'm not making enough milk, or poor quality and said he would be happier on FF. I guess I'm just confused as to whether this is normal or not! I have spoken with dr re gas, relux etc and we tried gaviscon to no avail. Dr said that he will outgrow these problems. There are other drugs we could try but really time is the best medicine and as he is thriving I feel I don't want to pump him full of meds hence why I didn't want to try formula. I really guess I want to be sure that the root of his unsettledness is collic, possible milkd reflux which he will outgrow (hopefully soon) rather than anything to do with me and my milk if that makes sense xxx

Re: Last resort! Help required please x

baby gains a POUND A WEEK? That is TWICE the average.

This and many of the other 'symptoms' sound like overproduction and/or forceful letdown. Does that fit at all? (see attached articles, PLEASE read them both. Block feeding may indeed be waranted in this case as weight gain is so rapid, I just want you to be careful.)

Usually the issues of overproduction cause issues for mom more than baby- however, In rare cases, it can make a baby pretty miserable due to baby having a hard time digesting the excess lactose baby is getting.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR MILK. Exclusive breastfeeding should definitely continue. Very frequent feeding as baby is doing should continue. But if you calm your production down and help baby handle the flow, baby may be happier overall.

Re: Last resort! Help required please x

Thanks. I had wondered this myself and done some reading and had started to use one breast per feed. What made me doubt it was that my breasts feel empty so quickly so wondered how I could be producing too much however I see my breasts leak at quite a rate and sometimes if it has been over 1.5/2hrs since a feed (at night) he chokes a bit if I'm sat up. I'll keep going and also prob need to accept my baby is just a bit more unsettled than most and he should eventually start to be more content as he grows and his digestive system matures etc. Main thing is he is healthy, thriving and gorgeous. I'll stick with BF

Re: Last resort! Help required please x

Yes your baby is feeding with such nice frequency there is not much time for the breasts to get full, plus if you are a good "leaker" that can prevent feeling overfull even when production is really high. These are good things, as over fullness and engorgement can be quite painful. Also it may happen that a mom has forceful letdown without true overproduction.

I suggest, if you like, keep trying the ideas as you are doing, for helping baby handle the flow, like nursing one side at a time, nursing frequently- as these cannot hurt anything, and hold off on block feeding if you think that does not quite fit. Some mothers really do need to block nurse but many others get their production under control without it, all it takes is a little time. I had overproduction and forceful letdown with all my kids and never block nursed basically because I was too lazy to bother. I nursed really frequently and nursed 'laid back" and eventually the milk production calmed down.